The Deduction Game

Hu Jixian a playful smile, "Interesting. The diva actually has a twin sister. This is big news that has never been reported before."

Yuezheng Qiong walked towards Si Ming and said, "You didn't prepare a chicken feather for me too, did you?"

"How could that be? Chicken feathers are for dismissing idle people, how could they be worthy of someone of your status, Sister Qiong? I've prepared a much grander gift for you, Sister Qiong."

When they performed together on the street, Yuezheng Qiong took good care of Si Ming. She not only taught him how to practice the "Nine Shao Pitch-Setting Art" with different musical instruments, but also revealed some content not mentioned in the body-refining chapter, which greatly improved his body's recovery speed. After each street performance, she would always take him to some famous restaurants for a late-night snack or to find a masseur to relax his body.

With that in mind, Si Ming couldn't just give a perfunctory birthday gift. He immediately pulled Hongdou over and introduced her, "She's the famous 'Southern Land Layperson' in the art world. I asked her to paint a picture for Sister Qiong's birthday. Isn't that a nice gift?"

"Southern Land Layperson" was a nickname Auntie Liu came up with for Hongdou; otherwise, using her real name would inevitably give people a frivolous impression. Although Hongdou herself rarely used this title, she didn't even know that others calling her "Southern Land Layperson" were referring to her.

Yuezheng Qiong exclaimed in surprise, "She is the Southern Land Layperson! I have indeed heard of her; she is a very young female Painting School, but I never expected her to be so young... The Southern Land Layperson's paintings can be bought with money, but to ask Southern Land Layperson to paint a painting for me is something that no amount of money can buy. This gift is by no means insignificant."

Hongdou's status in the painting world is no less than that of Yuezheng Yao in the music world. While Yuezheng Yao may be more famous, Hongdou is superior in terms of reputation within the industry and artistic achievement.

Yuezheng Yao, who was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer and protested, "Hey, this preferential treatment is too obvious! Why is she Sister Qiong and I'm just a chicken feather?"

Si Ming glanced at him sideways and said, "What else can we do but call you Sister Yao?"

Yuezheng Yao was about to get angry, but for some reason, she suddenly burst out laughing, unable to keep a straight face, and her anger turned into laughter. "Prostitute, this term is too funny, I can laugh at this joke for half a year."

What's wrong with her? She's laughing at herself. Is Yuezheng Yao really that magnanimous?

Si Ming was puzzled when he was hit on the head. He turned around and saw "Yuezheng Qiong" glaring at him with a very unhappy expression. He immediately understood.

Chapter 459 Deduction Game

Clearly, Yuezheng Qiong and Yuezheng Yao had switched roles. Yuezheng Yao's acting was convincing enough to fool people, while Yuezheng Qiong's was slightly lacking. However, due to preconceived notions, Si Ming didn't have time to notice anything amiss. If he had calmed down and thought about it from a third-person perspective, he would have noticed the difference. Regardless of Yuezheng Yao's true nature, she should have acted like an idol when outsiders were present, instead of speaking to him in such a carefree tone.

Of course, these are all hindsight Zhuge Liang; those involved are often blinded by their own perspective. In other words, when you become the person directly involved, you'll find that flaws that are clearly easy to spot are simply impossible to discover due to your own habitual thinking and existing logical framework.

Everyone was amazed. It turned out Yuezheng not only did the Yue family have a twin sister, but the two were also so alike that after switching identities, they not only looked similar but also resembled each other in spirit. They hadn't been able to tell the difference before.

Si Ming was aware of the many subtle differences in their appearances, but with the help of makeup magic, these differences were completely concealed; otherwise, he should have noticed them much faster.

After her identity was exposed, Yuezheng Yao went to change her clothes, putting on a red dress that was exactly the same style as her sister's, featuring a symmetrical design, making the two look even more alike.

She put a finger to her lips and playfully said to everyone, "Due to some Lineage reasons, the fact that I have an older sister has not been made public. Please keep it a secret."

Having discovered the secret of a big star that no one else knew, Hao Shuai excitedly patted his chest and said, "Yuezheng, everyone, please rest assured, we will absolutely keep our mouths shut. Even if we are kidnapped by reporters, tortured, and suffer all kinds of torment, we will never reveal a single word. If any information is leaked, may my son be born without an anus!"

Si Ming glanced at him sideways. "Just how much hatred do you have for your future son that you keep using his ass as a gamble? Or are you determined to only have daughters and not sons?" But even if you've made up your mind about having a boy or a girl, it's useless.

While the others weren't as outrageous as Hao Shuai, they all promised to keep their mouths shut.

Yuezheng Yao covered her mouth and laughed, "Everyone doesn't need to take it too seriously. This isn't some kind of war intelligence. Our Yuezheng Lineage has a certain influence in the entertainment industry, and we've spoken to all the major media outlets. Under normal circumstances, they won't report on it."

Yuezheng Qiong is a living, breathing person, and she wasn't confined to her home and forbidden from going out. It's impossible for this information to remain undiscovered for years. However, Yuezheng Yao is not an ordinary person without power or influence, Su State is not a place like Hong Kong where paparazzi Wutian. With a little pressure from those in power, those media platforms will naturally turn a blind eye.

What, you're pursuing the truth?

Sorry, that's the mission of a famous detective, not the responsibility of a journalist. As for the integrity of the media, it's just a bubble that bursts easily in the face of power and capital.

Soon, the butler announced the official start of the birthday banquet, and the chefs of the Yuezheng Lineage began to serve a continuous stream of various delicacies. These dishes came from various countries in the Sea Continent and were full of Otherworld Domain flavors. Even if some of them did not suit everyone's taste, they all had their own unique and distinctive style.

Everyone presented the birthday gifts they had prepared, but each person also apologized, saying they hadn't expected there to be two birthday celebrants.

Yuezheng Yao expressed her understanding in a kind and gentle tone, showcasing the approachable aura of a big star and appearing very easy to talk to. However, Yuezheng Qiong did not hold back and used Si Ming as a target. "Isn't there another fake who only brought a chicken feather, and only one at that?"

Feeling slighted, Si Ming immediately pulled out another chicken feather from his pocket to show that he was truly sincere, but he was a low-key person and did not want to show off.

He said matter-of-factly, "If I'm the only one who prepared two gifts, wouldn't it make everyone else who only prepared one seem rather unfair? I'm doing this for everyone's sake!"

Such a sincere statement naturally won everyone's understanding. They all gave him a thumbs up, praising Si Ming for being so loyal, and then threw cakes, desserts, and other food at his face.

After all this commotion for a while, just as everyone had finished their meal, a scream suddenly came from inside the restaurant.

Everyone looked at each other, bewildered. Only Si Ming stroked his chin, pondering, "This environment, this sudden situation, is undoubtedly a prelude to a murder."

The others were startled and all turned their attention to the two people involved. Yuezheng Yao said with a smile, "This is a little game that I asked the housekeeper to prepare for everyone. It's like a reasoning game. Please follow me."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt relieved, but their curiosity was also piqued. Even though most of them weren't fans of mystery novels, they had heard of or seen similar plots on television, so they were all eager to try it out.

Please follow me.

The old butler calmly led everyone to the kitchen and introduced, "This is the crime scene. The chef suddenly disappeared while cooking. Please deduce what happened here and where the chef went."

"I'm best at deduction games, leave it to me."

Ke Chajing stepped forward nonchalantly, her face filled with inexplicable confidence. Pointing to a pool of blood on the ground, she said, "The truth is quite obvious. There's blood on the ground, and a knife next to it. The chef has undoubtedly been murdered. As for the murderer, we can find out by investigating the fingerprints on the knife handle. Of course, I don't think the case will be so easy to solve; the murderer will definitely erase their fingerprints."

Hu Jixian forward, dipped his finger in the bloodstain, and questioned, "This isn't human blood, it's chicken blood."

Ke Chajing paused for a moment, then retorted, "This is just a deduction game, not a real murder case, so of course we can't use human blood."

Hu Jixian's lips curled into a slight smile, revealing a sense of intellectual superiority. He picked up a chicken feather from the blood with two fingers, then took out a hen whose throat had just been slit from the wooden bucket beside him, saying, "Clearly, this is indeed just a pool of chicken blood."

Ke Chajing refused to admit defeat, defending her wisdom by saying, "Perhaps the murderer deliberately sprinkled chicken blood after killing the person to deceive them."

Hu Jixian, "What's the point of the murderer doing this? To cover up the truth about the killing? Wouldn't everything be exposed once the chef's body is found? Even if the body isn't found, examining the bloodstains on the blade will tell you whether it was a person or a chicken that was killed."

"I see!"

Hongdou suddenly shouted, startling everyone and causing Ke Chajing to swallow back her words of protest.

"Look, the feathers on this chicken are the same as the two feathers Xiao Ming showed us, so the truth is obvious— Xiao Ming is the murderer!"

"This is truly... mind-numbing reasoning." Si Ming didn't even know how to retort.